Container with dispensing spout therefor, releasably attached thereto



Aprll 25, 1961 w. ANDERSON 2,981,448

CONTAINER WITH DISPENSING SPOUT'THEREFOR, RELEASABLY ATTACHED THERETO Original Filed Jan. 7, 1957 INVENTOR.. JoHN W. ANDERSON RQLW l- ATTORNEY Uni S ar P t h CONTAINER WITH DISPENSING SPOUT THERE- FOR, RELEASABLY ATTACHED THERETO John W. Anderson, 578 Broadway, Gary, Ind.

Continuation of application Ser. No. 632,684, Jan. 7, 1957. This application June 24, '1959, Ser. No. 822,530

4 Claims. (Cl. 222-539) This invention relates to dispensers and more particularly it relates to a removal and reversible dispensing spout for a container.

This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 632,684, filed January 7, 1957, now abandoned. v v

It is a principal object of this invention to provide an improved reversible spout for a container that may be stored within the container for shipping purposes and may be reversed and mounted in operative position for dispensing purposes. 7 p

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved spout for a container that can be nested below the surface of the top of the container when the spout is disposed within the container for shipping purposes.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved connection between a spout and container formed in part from the material of the spout and in part from the material of the container which will require no welding, soldering or the like.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a detachable pouring'spout so shaped as to direct the material being dispensed from the container into a uniform and easily controllable stream.

And a still further object of this invention is to provide a dispensing device having a pouring spout that can be applied to the can in an easy and expeditious manner, is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely efiicient in operation, use and service.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds, and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection. with the accompanying drawing forming partof this specification, with the. understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing, but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modificaq tions mark no material departure from the salient fea-- tures of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 with the spout attached to the container; and

Figure 3 is a view, partially in section, through the upper portion of the container and spout and showing the spout in solid lines for the shipping position and in dotted lines for the use position. I

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which similar reference characters identify similar parts in the several views, the numeral 10 indicates a container having a top or end wall 12 formed of relatively stiff sheet material such as tin, plastic or the like. The wall 12 has an upwardly projecting bead14 formed around the peripheral edge portion thereof which is' adapted to be engaged with and to be secured to the upper edge of the container side wall 16. Theheight of the bead 14 pro- 2,981,448 I Patented Apr. 25, 1961 vides a means for establishing a spacing between the plane of the top surface of wall 12 and a plane lying tangent to the upper edge of the bead for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

A spout 17 which forms the basis of this invention is adapted to be affixed to the wall 12 and for this purpose the wall 12 is formed with a recessed or depressed portion 18 which, in the illustrated form, is circular in shape and is positioned substantially centrally of said top wall 12. The recessed portion 18 has a circular aperture 20 passing through the central portion thereof which is adapted to permit the egress of powdered or granulated material such as a soap product from the inner confines of the container. Cut from said recessed portion 18 is a plurality of equally spaced radially directed notches 24 which extend from the aperture 20 to a region located generally at the base of the wall 26 forming the side of the recessed portion 18. Between each pair of notches 24 is a segment 28 of the recessed portion 18 which segment has a downwardly struck stop member 30 formed substantially midway between the adjoining notches 24. The stop member 30 may be any shape desired and may even consist of a separate piece of material fastened to the lower side of each segment 28 without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The removable spout 17 is composed of a body portion or member 38 shaped like the frustum of a right circular cone and a flanged portion 40 extending radially outwardly from the large end portion of said body 3-8. The narrow end of the spout 17 is adapted to serve as the dispensing opening for the material being dispensed from the container and is constructed in such a way as to concentrate the flow of material into an easily controlled and directed stream. The flanged portion 40 has a plurality of equally spaced radially outwardly directed tonguelike elements 42 struck therefrom. Each tonguelike element 42 has its radial edge portions 44 offset downwardly from the normal plane of the flange portion such that, as best seen in Figure 2, the tonguelike elements 42 are formed to have an arc shape in cross section.

Each tonguelike element 42 has a circumferential dimension which is slightly less than the circumferential dimension of the notches 24 formed in the recessed portion 18 of the top wall 12. In like manner, the circumferential spacing between two adjoining tonguelike elements 42 of the spout 17 is slightly greater than the corresponding spacing between two adjoining notches 24 in the recessedportion 18 such that when it is desired to assemble the spout 17 onto the container 10 in a position ready for use, the tonguelike elements 42 are aligned with and dropped through the notches 24 whereupon the turning of the spout relative to the container in either a clockwise or counterclockwise manner will cause the appropriate edge portions 44 of the tonguelike elements 42 to engage with the radially extending edges of the notches 24 and be cammed under the adjoining segments 28 of the recessed portion 18. Continued relative rotation between the spout and container will move the tonguelike elements 42 under the segments 28 until the leading radial edge portions 44 of each of the elements 42 engage with the appropriate stop members 30 whereupon the spout becomes securely fastened on the container to extend outwardly from wall 12 as indicated in the dotted lines of Figure 3.

The spout is also adapted to be supported on wall 12 in an inactive position as represented in the full lines in Figure 3 while the container is being shipped in commerce, and for this reason the distance between the plane of the top surface of wall 12 and the plane of the top surface of the recessed portion 18 'is equal to or J slightly greater than the distance between the plane of the lower surface flanged skirt portion 40 referring to the full-line position of spout 17 in Figure 3 and the plane passing through the extreme tips 46 of the edge portions 44 of the tonguelike elements 42 so that, when the spout is placed in the inverted position as there shown, a sealing or retaining disc 48may be pressed down within the confines of the bead 14 for holding the spout in stored position for shipping and storing purposes. It will be obvious that the outside diameter of the large end portion of the frusto-conical body 38 of the spout 17 must be slightly less than the diameter of the aperture 20 formed in the recessed portion 18 of the top wall 12. With this construction, the inverted spout can be easily inserted through'the aperture 20 with the flange 40 resting on the recessed portion 18 during storage and shipment of the container.

Although the head 14 may be undercut slightly on the inner portion just above the plane of the top surface of wall 12 to better retain the disc 48 in assembled position on the container top, it is not essential since the stiffness of the disc 48 can be made such as to insure proper retention in place. The disc 48 when in position on the top wall 12 not only serves to hold the flange portion of the spout 17 nested in the recessed portion 18 of the top wall 12, but also serves to seal the container such that comminuted material therein cannot escape through the aperture 26 in the top wall 12. Also the disc may bear a printed instruction showing how the spout can be attached to the can.

When it is desired to place a container embodying the instant invention in use, it is a simple matter to first remove the disc 48 from the top of the container and then lift the spout 17 from the stored position. After reversing the spout, the flanged portion 40 is aligned with the recessed portion 18, whereupon no matter where the tonguelike elements 42 fall with respect to the notches 24, a slight turning of the spout 17 relative to the container 10 will slide the elements 42 over the tops of the segments 38 until they align with and drop through the notches 24-. Further rotation of the spout relative to the container in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction will cause the upper surface of the downwardly disposed radial edge portions 44 of the elements 42 to engage under the edges of the notches 24 which portions 44 will cam the elements 42 into position under the segments 18 whereupon the spout becomes fastened to the container.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages of the present invention, will be readily understood and appreciated bythose skilled in the art. It will be apparent that the device may be conveniently and economically manufactured and assembled and is highly efficient in use.

I claim:

1. A dispensing device comprising a container having a top wall, a recessed portion formed in said top wall and having an aperture through the central portion thereof, a spout, and means for attaching said spout to said top wall over said aperture, said means comprising a radially outwardly directed flange portion formed on one end portion of the spout and adapted to rest upon the ledge formed by said opening in said recess, a plurality of equally spaced radially directed tonguelike elements displaced from said flange portion and lying in a plane spaced from said flange portion, each radial edge portion of the tonguelike elements being offset downwardly from the normal plane of the flange portion, a plurality of equally spaced radially disposed notches formed in the ledge of said recessed portion and adapted to pass the tonguelike elements of the spout therethrough, and a plurality of axially disposed stop members struck from said ledge portion whereby a partial turn of the spout relative to the container with the tonguelike elements positinned through the notches inthe recessed portion slides the offset edges of the tonguelike elements beneath said' recessed portions and against the stop members for securing the spout in operative position on the container.

2. In a dispensing devicefthe combination of a container having a top wall with an aperture therethrough, a recessed portion formed in said top wall around said aperture, a spout, a radially directed flange formed on one end portion of the spout and adapted to be seated within said recessed portion, a plurality of equally spaced radially directed tonguelike elements struck from said flange and lying in a plane spaced below said flange, said tonguelike elements being arcuate in transverse cross section with the radial edge portion of each tonguelike element directed downwardly from the normal plane of the flange, and a plurality of equally spaced radially disposed notches formed in said recessed portion and adapted to pass the tonguelike elements of the spout therethrough, whereby a partial turn of the spout relative to the container with the tonguelike elements positioned through the notches in the recessed portion engages the tonguelike elements under the recessed portion for securing the spout in operative position on the container.

3. In a dispensing device, the combination of a container having a top wall with an aperture therethrough, a recessed portion formed in said top wall around said aperture, a spout, a radially directed flange portion formed on one end of the spout and adapted to be nested within said recessed portion, a plurality of radially directed tonguelike elements struck from one of said portions and lying in a plane spaced from the portion from which they are formed, at least one radial edge of each tonguelike element being otfset from the normal plane of said one portion, and a plurality of radially disposed notches formed in the other portion and adapted to pass the tonguelike elements of the first portion thercthrough whereby a partial turn of the spout relative to the container with the tonguelike elements positioned through the notches secures the spout in operative position on the container.

4. A shipping and dispensing device comprising a container having a top wall with an upstanding rim formed around the peripheral portion thereof, a recessed portion formed in said top wall with an aperture formed through the central portion thereof, a spout, a radially directed flange portion formed on one end portion of the spout and adapted to be nested within said recessed portion with the spout projecting into the casing in the shipping position, a closure disk seated within the confines of the rim of the top wall for closing the end of the container and holding the'spout in stored position, a plurality of equally spaced radially directed tonguelike elements formed in said flange portion, each radial edge portion of the tonguelike elements being oflset downwardly from the normal plane of the flange portion, a plurality of equally spaced radially disposed notches formed in said recessed portion and adapted to pass the tonguelike elements of the spout therethrough, and a plurality of axially. oltset radially disposed stop members struck inwardly from said recessed portion whereby removal of the closure disk and inverting the spout permits the tonguelike elements to be positioned through the notches in the recessed portion so that a partial turn of the spout relative to the container permits the offset edges of the tonguelike elements to be guided beneath said recessed portions and against the stop members for securing the spout in the dispensing position on the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 898,821 Beatty Sept. 15, 1908' 949,395 Eaton Feb. 15,1910 970,318 French Sept. 13, 1910 1,073,391 Booth Sept. 16, 1913 1,600,350 Mensik Sept. 21, 1926 1,859,008 Stamer May 17, 1932' 2,545,178 Vaughn Mar. 13, 1951- 

